Space Coast sees 45 orbital launches in 2026, including historic Artemis II mission

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched at sunrise Sunday, July 5, 2026 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40 carrying 29 Starlink satellites. The mission marked the 45th orbital launch from the Space Coast this year. SpaceX has conducted 38 of those launches, including 37 Falcon 9 flights and one Falcon Heavy mission. United Launch Alliance added five launches, while Blue Origin contributed one New Glenn flight on the NG-3 mission. NASA's Artemis II mission, scheduled for later this year, will be the first crewed lunar flight since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The Space Coast ended 2025 with a record 109 orbital launches, the highest annual total in the region's history. That included 83 launches from Cape Canaveral and 26 from Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX alone accounted for 101 of those flights, all on Falcon 9 rockets. United Launch Alliance had six launches, and Blue Origin had two New Glenn missions. The year also featured four human spaceflights, including SpaceX's Crew-10, Boeing's Crew Flight Test, and Ax-4 and Crew-11 missions.

2026 is shaping up to be another busy year for the Space Coast. As of July 5, 43 of the 45 projected orbital launches have already occurred at Cape Canaveral, with two more expected at Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX leads with 38 launches, followed by ULA with five and Blue Origin with one. NASA's Artemis II mission, set to launch the first crewed spacecraft beyond low Earth orbit since 1972, is expected to add another launch to the tally. The year will also include two human spaceflights: SpaceX's Crew-12 mission and the Artemis II crewed lunar voyage.

The Space Coast's launch activity has grown steadily over the past decade. In 2024, the region saw 93 orbital launches, including 88 from SpaceX and five from ULA. That was followed by 72 launches in 2023, with SpaceX accounting for 68 of them. The increase in activity reflects growing commercial space operations and NASA's Artemis program. Detailed information on past launches is available through the Florida Space Coast's official launch tracking resources.